Welcome to part III of my Mexican Fiesta! If you have been following this series, my previous posts have included recipes for a trio of salsas as well as Pineapple Shrimp Tacos.

A few years back, I went to Cabo San Lucas on vacation and stayed at a beautiful beachside resort. I still remember how excited I was to go on this trip as it was winter in New York and the weather was brutally cold. Winters in New York bring freezing temperatures, snow, and long periods or cloudy sky’s. I really needed a break and was looking forward to some fun in the sun and a few margaritas!

During my stay, I noticed a lot of people ordering tacos for lunch, so I decided to do the same. Maybe it was the sunshine or the margaritas, but I will never forget the flavor of shrimp tacos served with this Authentic Mexican Guacamole. When I find something I like, I tend to stick with it and during my stay, I found some reason to include guacamole with at least one meal every day.

After I returned from Mexico, I was really eager to keep the streak going and make some guacamole at home. Avocados are available year-round and after a little research and testing,  I believe I got it flavor down. Now my guacamole is as good as the one served in Mexico and I am thrilled to share the recipe with you.

There are five recipes in my Mexican Fiesta series. This Authentic Mexican Guacamole can be served with all of them!

Enjoy!

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Authentic Mexican Guacamole

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 3 Ripe Avocados
• 1 lime juiced
• half teaspoon of salt or more to taste
• 1/4 cup of a red or white sweet onion minced or scallions (white and greens parts), finely sliced
• Half of a jalapeño pepper finely minced or half of a chile serrano
• 2 tablespoons or more fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 medium tomato seeded, small diced

Instructions

• Begin by chopping up the onions, or scallions, jalapeño pepper, cilantro and tomato (optional).
• Warning: Caution! When chopping the jalapeño I recommend you use latex gloves or wash your hands immediately afterward. Avoid rubbing your eyes.
• Next, cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Immediately add lime juice to it. This will prevent the avocados from turning brown.
• Mix it up with a spoon. Take half of an avocado out, dice it with a knife and set aside.
• Mash the remaining avocados with a fork to desired consistency. Add salt and mix.
• Add onion, half teaspoon of jalapeño, cilantro, and tomato. Combine everything together and add remaining diced avocado to the mixture. Gently fold ingredients together. Taste. Add more jalapeño, or salt to taste.
• Enjoy!

Your comments mean a lot to me. If you have made any of my recipes or are considering making them, please leave a comment below. Please choose a star rating too. Thank you. Carla!

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Welcome to my Mexican Fiesta! In the upcoming weeks, I will be sharing some of my favorite Mexican dishes, starting with these wonderful salsas. These salsas are wonderful when served separately and even better when served as a trio. They are the perfect complement to any Mexican dinner party and pair beautifully for my upcoming recipe, Shrimp Tacos. They are my own creations, but each is based on traditional Mexican flavors and regional ingredients.

As a global blogger, I have created and collected recipes from a variety of cuisines including Mexico. I often make tacos and fajitas because they are  healthy, delicious, and easy to prepare. In  Mexico, the chefs tend to prepare tacos and fajitas with simple fresh ingredients. They rely on sauces and salsas to enhance the flavor of those dises and these salsas really make them special.

Whether you’re planning a Mexican themed party, or just looking to spruce up Friday night dinner, you will love these Mexican Salsas. Prepare them in advance so that you can simply relax and share a margarita with family or friends when they arrive.

I hope you enjoy these Mexican Salsas and look out for my Shrimp Tacos recipe coming up next week. Believe me, you won’t want to miss them!

Have a great week and thanks for your support!

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Mexican Salsas

Course Appetizer

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 cups

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• TOMATO SALSA
• 1 can 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes without basil drained
• 1/4 medium sized sweet yellow onion chopped
• 1 lime juiced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• salt to taste approximately 1/2 tsp
• 1 jalapeno pepper chopped head and bottom removed
• MANGO SALSA
• 2 fresh ripe mangoes peeled, and diced into little cubes
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeno finely chopped

Instructions

• TOMATO SALSA
• Place the whole tomatoes inside a blender or food processor and blend for only a few seconds until tomatoes are chunky. It's best to use the pulse bottom so you don't over blend. Transfer half of the chopped tomatoes to a bowl and add the onion to the remaining half inside the blender. Pulse it a few times until the desirable consistency. Add the lime juice, cilantro, salt and jalapeño and pulse it for a few seconds. Transfer the tomato mixture to the reserved remaining tomato chunks. Combine them together. Taste the salsa. Add more salt or lime juice if needed.
• Enjoy!
• *******************************************************************************
• MANGO SALSA
• Peel and dice the mangoes into small cubes, the smaller the size the nicer they will look.
• Add them into a bowl. Add the lime juice, red onion, cilantro, and half the jalapeño. Mix everything together. Taste the salsa. Add salt to taste. Add more jalapeño slowly until desired heat is attained. Enjoy!

Your comments mean a lot to me. If you made any of my recipes or are considering making them, please leave a comment below. Please choose a star rating too. Thank you. Carla!

The post Mexican Salsas appeared first on My Global Cuisine.

It’s January and there is one important task at hand; losing all the weight I put it on during the Holiday season. Since I hate dieting, I am finding ways to make this task a bit more enjoyable!

The idea of dieting makes me cringe because I immediately associate that with grilled tasteless foods. That is the reason I love these Salmon Tartare Cucumber Cups so much. They are very flavorful with a touch of heat and due to the omega 3’s found in salmon and the vitamins found in the cucumber, it’s a true superfood. It’s completely guilt-free and it’s just what I need while I am trying to bounce back to my pre-Holiday weight.

These Salmon Tartare Cucumber Cups are also a great appetizer to take to a party. If you are not a salmon lover you could substitute the salmon for Tuna. It will taste just as good. As a matter of fact there is also a short cut you could take here, which I have done days where I am feeling a little lazy. If you don’t feel like dealing with chopping up the salmon and the rest of the ingredients, you could fill up the cucumber cups with store bought crab spread. I have done that  before. I bought one of those crab meat mayonnaise salad and I just added it to the cucumber cups and added some chopped chives to it. The possibilities are endless.

Here are the steps to prepare the cucumber cups:

Start by cutting the salmon into small cubes. Make the dressing.

Then add the dressing and mix well. Ensure you coat the salmon, but be careful not to overdress the mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Partially peel the cucumber as shown below then slice into 1″ sections.

Using a small melon scoop, remove the center of the cucumber section.

Here’s another view of the finished product served with a little sake.

I hope you enjoy these Salmon Tartare Cucumber Cups. Try them at your next social gathering, or if you are on a diet, I wish you the best of luck in achieving your weight-loss goal.

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Salmon Tartare Cucumber Cups

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 20

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced scallions
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced shallots
• 1 pound sushi-quality salmon or tuna diced
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 English cucumbers cut into 3/4-inch thick, slices
• Minced chives for garnish

Instructions

• Combine all the ingredients except for the cut cucumbers. Cover salmon mixture with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Using a mellon-baller, scoop out a hollow in the center of each cucumber slice (be careful not to go all the way through the slice).
• Spoon marinated salmon onto the slices. Garnish with chives.
• Enjoy!

YOUR COMMENTS MEAN A LOT TO ME. IF YOU MADE MY RECIPES OR ARE CONSIDERING MAKING THEM, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW. PLEASE CHOOSE A STAR RATING TOO. THANK YOU!

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Whether you are entertaining or heading to a party this New Year’s Eve, this Arancini di Riso is sure to be a hit with your guests. New Year’s is a time for celebration, parties and appetizers…lots of appetizers! I will be serving my Arancini di Riso with a platter of Italian antipasti. These are best served right out of the deep fryer, but are almost as good prepared in advance and oven heated prior to serving. The dish is extremely versatile and for this reason, it is commonly found at both elegant Italian restaurants and at Italian street fairs. 

This past summer I was lucky enough to attended Vinalia, a wine and food festival in Guardia Sanframondi, Italy. During the festival, I indulged in many different types of Arancini di Riso that were being sold in the main square in town.  Some were made with ground beef, peas and tomatoes and others were made with cheese. Each had a style and flavor of its own. Mothers and grandmothers prepare them at home and then sell them at food stands during the fairs to demonstrate their culinary powers and bring home a little extra income.

In Italy, Arancini di Riso is made with bread crumbs but I prefer panko to plain breadcrumbs because it makes the dish lighter and crunchier.  The point here is that once you get familiar with the basic recipe, there are many options if you want to get creative.

Use only arborio rice for this dish.

If the mixture is overly moist, you can add an extra tablespoon of panko.

Place a piece of fontina cheese between equal amounts of mixture and form them into balls.

Serve the Arancini with your favorite marinara sauce or try mine.

I would like to say a big thank you to all of you who have supported me in 2017. Thanks for all the follows, likes, and comments. Your support and encouragement make this blog worthwhile!

May your New Year be filled with success, health, prosperity and happiness!

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Arancini di Riso

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 12 balls

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 shallots
• 4 Tablespoons butter divided
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 6 ounces fontina cheese cubed
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups japanese panko flour
• Oil for frying

Instructions

• In a saucepan hit up the chicken broth. Set aside and keep it on simmer.
• In another saucepan heat the butter, add the shallots and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add rice, cook stirring it for 1 minute. Add wine, stir and cook until absorbed. Add one ladle of broth at the time and cook stirring often, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more. Continue adding the broth until the rice is cooked, but still al dente, about 20 minutes.
• Take off heat. Add 2 Tbsp butter, the parmesan cheese and parsley. Taste the rice. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Let it cool and refrigerate. If the rice is chilled it will be easier to roll into balls.
• It's time to form the balls. Place some rice on the palm of your hand. Place a piece of the fontina cheese between equal amounts of mixture and form them into balls. Continue forming balls until all the rice mixture is used.
• Set 3 plates side by side. Beat 2 eggs in a plate to blend. Place flour in another onel. Place panko in another one.
• Roll the arancini balls in flour shaking off the excess. Then roll them in the beaten egg. Then roll them in the panko.
• Fry balls in 3 inch oil at 375 degrees for 4 1/2 minutes or until they are golden brown. Drain them on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Serve them plain, or with marinara sauce on the side.
• If you would like to serve them at a later time, just before serving, place them on a baking sheet and re-heat in the oven at 400 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes.
• Note: (If you are able to make the risotto the day before, this will work in your favor as it can be refrigerated and the balls will stick together much easier that way).
• Enjoy!

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To the Greeks all the foods that are special, traditional and delicious like dolmades – stuffed grape leaves with minced lamb and rice – were first served on the mountain of the gods – along with ambrosia and nectar.

Through my travels I learned that most stuffed grape leaves in Greece today do not contain meat. Throughout the middle east, you will find that virtually every culture and region has their own version of this recipe. The recipe I am presenting here is Lebanese in origin and contains meat, rice and pine nuts. It is my favorite version of this traditional dish and I am sure that once you taste these, it will be your as well!

Making these little bundles of joy takes a little time, but you will find it easier than you think. Creating these traditional dishes are labors of love, but serve them to your friends and family and all that love will come back tenfold!

Begin with washing your grape leaves by blanching them in boiling water for two minutes. Don’t put them all in at once, do it in manageable batches. After you are done, put them on a plate with paper towels in between to dry them before rolling.

After I wash my grape  leaves and prepare the mixture for the stuffing, I lay out my ingredients and organize a comfortable workspace at my kitchen table. Have a seat as you will be more comfortable sitting to prepare this dish.

Next I take a leaf, lay it our carefully on the cutting board, placing about 1 Tablespoon of mixture inside. Try to keep the size of the finished product as consistent as possible. This will help them all cook consistently.

Begin rolling from the base of the grape leaf.

Then fold in both the left and right sides of the grape leaf.

Now that you have the stuffing mixture contained, roll the leaf until it is log shaped.

OK, That’s 1, about 50 more to go!

Start arranging the stuffed grape leaves in the pot being careful to leave as little space as possible between the grape leaves. This will help them stay together while cooking.

And some time in the not to distant future, you should have a pot that looks something like this…..

Placing a plate atop the leaves will help ensure the stuffing stays put during the cooking process.

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Stuffed Grape Leaves

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 60 grape leaves

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 60 fresh grape leaves or one large jar of grape leaves in conserve
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 pound ground lamb or beef
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of allspice
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3-4 cups of chicken stock

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to boil. Remove the grape leaves from the jar. Discard the liquid. Cook the grape leaves for two minutes in order to wash them. If using fresh leaves do the same. Cook them for two minutes and dry them individually with paper towels. Set them aside.
• Soak the rice in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain rice in a colander.
• In a bowl, combine rice, lamb or beef, cinnamon, allspice, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Mix until combined.
• Using one grape leaf, lay leaf on a flat surface and place about 1 tablespoon of filling on the leaf. Roll up, folding in sides to seal. Continue until all filling is used.
• To cook:
• Place a few unfilled leaves on the bottom of a large pot. Place stuffed leaves on top of these- arrange one layer and then one or two more layers, as needed.
• Pour two cups of chicken stock or more, enough liquid to cover the leaves in the pot and place a small plate on top of grape leaves to weight down. Cover pan with a tight fitting lid and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes.
• Remove cover and dish, and add in lemon juice. Place dish and cover back on pot and cook another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand 10 minutes before eating.
• Serve with hummus, olives, yogurt or labne and pita bread.
• Enjoy!

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Last summer, while in Italy, I had it all the time. Growing up in Brasil, where chicken liver is widely served, my mom frequently served me and my siblings chicken liver with rice and beans so I grew up loving chicken liver. Liver is delicious and is packed with vitamin A and iron. It is also a complete protein containing all of the essential amino acids. For anyone requiring extra iron in their diet, this is this is a real power food because it contains folate, iron and vitamin B12.

When I saw Chicken Liver Crostini on the menu at the restaurants in Italy I had to give it a try. One taste took me back home, to my childhood and to that familiar feeling of mom’s homemade chicken liver. I usually enjoy my Chicken Liver Crostini with a nice glass of red wine. If you want to get really Italian, try it with a little Bruschetta topping. The fresh tomatoes wake up the flavor of the livers and give the presentation some color.

I hope you give this delicious Chicken Liver Crostini a try. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

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Chicken Liver Crostini

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 20 OZ or 567 GR of chicken liver
• 4 TBSP of olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup marsala wine
• 1/2 TSP of salt
• 2 TBSP of butter
• 4 OZ drained capers
• Pepper to taste
• 1 TBSP of parsley finely chopped
• 1 large baguette

Instructions

• - Drain the liquid from the chicken liver and dry them on paper towels
• - In a large nonstick skillet add the olive oil and saute the onions and cook them for about 4 minutes.
• - Add the chicken liver and cook for 8-10 minutes.
• - Add the marsala wine and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• - Remove from the stove. Add the salt, the butter, the capers, the pepper and stir it all together. Let cool slighthly.
• - Transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse until chunky but not too smooth.
• - Add the parsley and serve on toasted slices of bread cut into 1/3 inch thick.

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I first tried Mussels al Sambuca (Cozze al Sambuca in Italian) while attending cooking school in Tuscany with Chef Paolo Monti. I had been searching to find the perfect mussels recipe and when I smelled the aroma coming out of the pot I knew it would be love at first bite. Mussels are a wonderful meal by  themselves or they can be served as an appetizer.  This dish is simple to make and the taste is sublime. Serve with with some warm or toasted bread and a bottle of chilled white wine, preferably on the dry side.

Here you can see the julienne carrot and the celery.

I hope you enjoy preparing this Mussels al Sambuca recipe, and that you get as many compliments from your guests as I do. Buon appetito!

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Mussels al Sambuca

Course Appetizer

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of mussels scrubbed, debarred, and washed
• 4 TBSP extra virgen olive oil
• one pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
• 1 TBSP of julienned carrot
• 1 TBSP of julienned celery
• 1/2 glass of dry white wine
• 4 TBSP of whipping heavy cream
• 1/4 cup Sambuca Italian liquor
• 3 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place the mussels inside a large bowl with water, wash and scrape them and then remove the beard from each mussel with your fingers or a small knife.
• In a large stock pot, add 3 TBSP of olive oil and add the red pepper flakes and the garlic and saute on low fire for a few seconds. Add the carrot and the celery and stir and saute for another 20 seconds. Add the mussels and bring to boil over high heat. Cover the pot and cook until the mussels open, about 4 minutes. Uncover the pot, add the wine and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add the cream and cook for another minute.
• Add the Sambuca and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add some salt and pepper to taste.
• Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the sauce.
• Sprinkle the chopped parsley over it and serve.

The post Mussels al Sambuca – Cozze al Sambuca appeared first on My Global Cuisine.

While there are many versions of this dish, as with most Italian cooking, using just a few fresh ingredients, prepared with love, produces the best results. Also, it’s important to keep in mind that you are dealing with raw beef, therefore I would recommend that before you serve this dish to anyone, to ask first about their dietary preferences.

Some of the fresh ingredients that go into this dish!

After slicing the beef, it is necessary to pound it until it is as thin as possible. Don’ worry if it doesn’t look perfect, the thinner it is the better it will marinate and the more delicate it will be on your palate. One trick I learned is to place the slices of beef in a folded piece of plastic wrap.

Once you have it fairly thin, then have some fun and give it one more good smack!

After you get a few pieces where you want them, arrange them on a plate and add some dressing. Top with the Arugula, Mushrooms, and Shaved Parmesan, garnish, and you are ready to serve. Enjoy with your favorite red wine!

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Beef Carpaccio

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Author My Global Cuisine

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef tenderloin
• 4 OZ fresh baby arugula washed and dried
• 8 white mushrooms cleaned and sliced very thinly
• 4 OZ- Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TSP Dijon mustard
• 2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice - about 1 lemon
• 1 pinch of sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place the beef tenderloin in the freezer and chill for 1 hour.
• Using a very sharp knife, cut the beef across into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
• Place the beef between two sheets of cling wrap film and pound lightly until thin enough, almost paper thin. Arrange the beef slices into the serving plates.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, the mustard and the sugar. Gradually whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour half of the dressing over the beef.
• Place a pile of arugula over the beef. Arrange the mushroom slices around it. Drizzle the arugula and the mushrooms with some of the dressing. Arrange the shaved parmesan cheese on top. Decorate the places with lemon slices and serve immediately.

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